1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved methods for completing wells in unconsolidated subterranean zones. More specifically, the present invention relates to cement compositions useful in subterranean applications, and more particularly, to permeable cement compositions and methods for forming consolidated permeable cement masses in well bores to prevent sand influx into the well bores with produced fluids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Oil, gas, and water producing wells often are completed in unconsolidated subterranean formations containing loose or incompetent sand that flows into the well bores with produced fluids. The presence of this sand in the produced fluids is undesirable as it, inter alia, may erode equipment, which often substantially increases the costs associated with operating such wells and generally reduces the fluid production capability of the formation. Incompetent subterranean formations include those which contain loose sand that is readily entrained by produced fluids, and those wherein the bonded sand particles comprising the formations lack sufficient bond strength to withstand the forces produced by the intermittent production of fluids from the formations.
Heretofore, unconsolidated formations have been treated by creating fractures in the formations and depositing proppant material, e.g., sand of a selected size, in the fractures to substantially preserve the fractures. In addition, the proppant has heretofore been consolidated within the fractures into hard permeable masses to prevent the proppant from flowing back and to reduce the migration of sand through the fractures with produced fluids. Further, costly “gravel packs,” which may include sand screens, slotted liners, and the like, have been utilized in wells to prevent the production of formation sand. In gravel packing operations, e.g., graded sand, is placed in the annulus between a screen and the walls of the well bore in the producing interval. The resulting structure provides a barrier to migrating sand while allowing desired fluids to flow into the well bore so that they may be produced.
While gravel packs may prevent the production of sand with formation fluids, they often fail and require replacement. This may be due to, for example, the deterioration of the screen as a result of corrosion or the like. The initial installation of a gravel pack adds considerable expense to the cost of completing a well, and the removal and replacement of a failed gravel pack is even more costly.
In horizontal well bores formed in unconsolidated formations, the well bores are often completed open hole, e.g., a casing is not inserted into the well bore. In open hole well bores, oftentimes a slotted liner, sand control screen, gravel pack, or the like is installed into the uncased well bore. This method of completion may be problematic as discussed above in that as the incompetent formation tends to break down as a result of production, the slotted liner, sand control screen, or gravel pack is often bypassed, which may result in formation sand being produced along with formation fluids.
There have been attempts to use a sort of permeable cement in subsurface applications such as gravel packs wherein the permeable cement composition contains a particulate, such as a carbonate salt or oil-soluble resin particulate, that is dissolvable with the addition of a second fluid, e.g., an acid or a hydrocarbon. The thought behind this approach is generally that when the dissolvable particulate dissolves out of the cement mass, voids are left in the cement mass so that the cement mass has some degree of permeability to formation fluids. Such permeable cement compositions and methods, however, have not been successful because the permeability of the cement mass once the particulate is dissolved out has not been satisfactory. This lack of permeability is caused by, inter alia, the dissolvable particulate's dependence on contact with a second solvent. Oftentimes, the solvent is not able to interact with a sufficient amount of the dissolvable particulate to adequately dissolve a sufficient amount of the particulate. As a result, not enough of the particulate is dissolved out of the cement mass to make the cement mass's permeability suitable for subsurface applications such as gravel packing.